New from the United States Mint is the 2014-P Arches silver coin, the third release this year and the 23rd overall from the series of America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins.

Pricing, Discount and Premiums

This latest collectible product is available at a regular price of $154.95. Subscribers to the five ounce series received a special 10% discount and paid $139.45, or $15.50 less. Subscribers are U.S. Mint customers who made a commitment to order new issues as they are released. Either price is bargain compared to when the series was introduced in 2010. Those early coins sold for $279.95 a piece, but silver prices were higher then as well.

America the Beautiful silver coins are composed in 99.9% pure silver and at Thursday’s London silver fix price of $19.33 an ounce, each has an intrinsic or melt value of $96.65. At the coin’s regular or non-discounted price, that places the U.S. Mint premium per ounce at $11.66. As a comparison using today’s silver price, U.S. Mint premiums are $33.62 for its one-ounce proof Silver Eagle and $24.62 for its uncirculated Silver Eagle.

The reverse side of the 2014-P Arches National Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin

The reverse or tails side design, created by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Charles L. Vickers, shows Delicate Arch with La Sal Mountains in the background. Delicate Arch is a natural wonder that is recognized throughout the world.

Obverses of America the Beautiful coins have George Washington’s portrait as designed by John Flanagan.

Edges of the quarters and the silver coins are different. Quarters have a reeded edge while edges of five ounce silvers coins are flat and incused with ".999 FINE SILVER 5.0 OUNCE."

This photo shows the incused edge letterings that appear on all America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Coins. These happen to be bullion versions.

All five of last year’s coins sold out, although the U.S. Mint did not produce them to the original stated maximum mintages with earlier demand setting how many were actually made. This year’s first release sold out and the second issue is still on sale. Here is a table of 2013 and 2014 sales as of Sunday, June 1.

Sales

Stated Mintages

Notes

2014-P Shenandoah Silver Uncirculated Coin

22,878

30,000

Released May 15

2014-P Great Smoky Mountains Silver Uncirculated Coin

24,725

25,000

Sold Out

2013-P White Mountain Silver Uncirculated Coin

20,530

2013-P Perry’s Victory Silver Uncirculated Coin

17,707

2013-P Great Basin Silver Uncirculated Coin

17,792

2013-P Fort McHenry Silver Uncirculated Coin

19,802

2013-P Mount Rushmore Silver Uncirculated Coin

23,547

Ordering

Orders for the 2014-P Arches National Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin may be placed online from the United States Mint website using this product page. They may also be called in at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). No per household ordering limits are in place.

Coins arrive encapsulated, set inside a protective outer box and come with a U.S. Mint Certificate of Authenticity.

Bullion Version of Arches National Park 5 Oz Silver Coin

The U.S. Mint also produces and sells bullion five ounce silver coins that are intended for investors. The Arches National Park Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coin debuted along with the quarters on Monday, June 9 and has sales of 13,500 as of Wednesday, June 11. The Mint sells bullion coins to authorized distributors who buy them in bulk and resell them in smaller quantities to dealers or straight to the public.

These coins share the same designs and specifications as the above described uncirculated pieces. In differences, they have:

a brilliant instead of matte finish like the uncirculated coins,

are also made in Philadelphia but lack the "P" mint mark, and

do not come in special U.S. Mint packaging

Bullion five ounce silver coins are usually available from precious metals and coin dealers for a few dollars per ounce over spot.

I wish the Mint would just leave mintage at 25,000 and stop fiddling with it. A similar strategy backfired on these atb coins before. Mint upped the mintage and sales dropped. Leave well enough alone, I say.